In-fighting rocks MPP, president expelled
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 11 2020:
A sharp polarisation has once again rocked MPP, the oldest regional political party of the State, this time over alleged misuse of over Rs five crore.
Moreover, MPP president O Jugindro has been expelled from the party's primary membership apart from removing him from the post of president.
On the other hand, O Jugindro maintained that he never misused any amount of the party's fund and the claim that he has been removed from the post of party president is null and void.
Nonetheless, as the MPP office bearers and workers are sharply divided into two camps, police have locked the main gate of MPP office complex fearing violent confrontation between the two camps.
Accusing O Jugindro of misusing party fund, MPP central committee held a meeting this morning and the meeting decided to remove Jugindro from the post of party president and also from the party's primary membership.
The central committee meeting further appointed L Krishnadas as interim president and M Amutombi as working president.
Notably, MPP has a monthly revenue of around Rs 3.54 lakh.
As the central committee meeting ended, a tense situation erupted in the party office as MPP workers were polarised into two opposite camps.
Taking due note of the situation, police drove out everyone from the MPP office complex and locked its main gate.
Later talking to The Sangai Express outside the office complex, interim president L Krishnadas said that a meeting of the MPP central committee was held today as grievances among the party workers were rising to an intolerable level against the growing corruption like misuse of party of funds within the party.
After minute deliberation, the meeting decided to remove O Jugindro from the post of president as well as from the party's primary membership, Krishnadas said.
As party president, Jugindro expelled party members the was not happy with and enrolled new members he favoured in total contravention of all established rules without ever consulting the party's disciplinary committee.
In the name of fighting the Lok Sabha election, an amount of Rs one crore and 17 lakh was borrowed but the amount disappeared without any trace.
For all these reasons, Jugindro was removed from the post of president, said the interim president.
Working president M Amutombi said that party workers revolted against Jugindro as he was not adhering to the party's constitution and financial rules apart from misusing fund.
On the other hand, O Jugindro contended that if any meeting of the party's central committee should be convened, it should be done by the party's general secretary (administration).
Any meeting convened by vice-president Y Bhim and S Ibomcha has no validity.
As such, there is no question of replacing the party president, he asserted.
In the last Lok Sabha election, the party's finance management committee borrowed Rs 71.90 lakh to fund the party's election campaign.
M Amutombi, H Gitajen, S Ibomcha, Y Bhim and L Krishnadas are members of the committee, among others, Jugindro said.
For repaying the borrowed amount together with interest, receipts of Rs 100,11,313 were received but no receipt was received for Rs 15 lakh.
As it was said that there was another Rs 39 lakh which was yet to be repaid, an observer committee was constituted and due investigation was launched.
It was at this juncture that members of the finance management committee raised an uproar, Jugindro said while contending that he never misused any party fund.